Galactomannan
From IDWiki
- Quantitative analysis of galactomannan levels in either bronchoalveolar lavage or blood that is used to diagnose invasive aspergillosis
Pathophysiology
- Galactomannan is a component of the cell wall of Aspergillus that is released when the organism is actively dividing
Interpretation
- Usual cuttoff is 0.5, but the higher it is, the more likely it is to be true positive
- Bronchoalveolar lavage more sensitive than serum
- False-positives:1
- Medications: piperacillin-tazobactam23, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, amoxicillin, meropenem, inhaled colistinCiteRef::hung2021in, some dextrose-containing IV products including total parenteral nutrition4
- Other infections: Penicillium (Talaromyces), Histoplasma, Fusarium, Paecilomyces, possibly Nocardia
- Other: multiple myeloma5
References
- ^ Parul Garg, Shipra Suyal, Desh Deepak, Sneha Hembrom, Ankit K. Chauhan, Nirmalajit Kaur, Shalini Malhotra. Evaluating the causes associated with false positive Galactomannan assay in suspected cases of respiratory fungal infections. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. 2025;14(2):736-742. doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1496_24.
- ^ Hayati Demiraslan, M. Altay Atalay, Esma Eren, Koray Demir, Leylagul Kaynar, A. Nedret Koc, Mehmet Doganay. Assessing the risk of false positive serum galactomannan among patients receiving piperacillin/tazobactam for febrile neutropenia. Medical Mycology. 2016:myw129. doi:10.1093/mmy/myw129.
- ^ Paschalis Vergidis, Raymund R. Razonable, L. Joseph Wheat, Lynn Estes, Angela M. Caliendo, Lindsey R. Baden, John R. Wingard, John Baddley, Maha Assi, Steven Norris, Pranatharthi Chandrasekar, Ryan Shields, Hong Nguyen, Alison Freifeld, Richard Kohler, Martin Kleiman, Thomas J. Walsh, Chadi A. Hage. D. W. Warnock. Reduction in False-Positive Aspergillus Serum Galactomannan Enzyme Immunoassay Results Associated with Use of Piperacillin-Tazobactam in the United States. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 2014;52(6):2199-2201. doi:10.1128/jcm.00285-14.
- ^ Dong Woo Shin, Jungwon Cho, Kyung Suk Choi, Jungwha Lee, Yunsang Choi, Seong Jin Choi, Sang-A Kim, Song Mi Moon, Eu Suk Kim, Hong Bin Kim, Kyoung Un Park, Yun Ji Hong, Kyoung-Ho Song. False-positive results of galactomannan assays in patients administered glucose-containing solutions. Scientific Reports. 2024;14(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-024-53116-x.
- ^ Jae-Hoon Ko, Kyong Ran Peck, Ji Yong Lee, Sun Young Cho, Young Eun Ha, Cheol-In Kang, Doo Ryeon Chung, Kihyun Kim, Eun-Suk Kang, Jae-Hoon Song. Multiple myeloma as a major cause of false-positive galactomannan tests in adult patients with cancer. Journal of Infection. 2016;72(2):233-239. doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2015.10.014.
